Improvement in pedals for musical instruments



J. JABERG.

Pedal for Musical-Instruments.

No. 211,663. Patented Jan. 28,1879.

Elven- 0r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOH\ JABERG, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEDALS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,663, dated January 28, 1879; application filed November 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN JABERG, of Oincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedals for Pianos, Melodeons, Organs, and other musical instruments, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to those pianos, organs, melodeons, &c., which are provided with secondary or adjustable pedals adapted to operate the primary ones, so as to render the instrument capable of being played with the utmost facility by young performers and the principal feature of my improvements consists in mounting such secondary pedals on a common shaft or hearing in order that they may be simultaneously elevated or depressed, and at the same time maintained in line with each other, as hereinafter more fully described.

These secondary pedals are located above the primary ones, and communicate motion to the latter by means of stems which are capable of being lengthened or shortened, so as to correspond with the vertical adjustment of said secondary pedals. Furthermore, these secondary pedals are adapted to be instantly turned back out of the way when an adult performer desires to have access to the prt mary pedals of the instrument, as hereinafter more fully described and set forth.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a pedal-box provided with my improvements, the frame connecting said box with the instrument being omitted, and the secondary pedals being shown in position for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through said box, one of the secondary pedals being shown turned back to permit access to the primary pedal, and Fig. 3 represents a mediiication of my invention.

A represents a pedal-box of any suitable construction, and B is the customary carved frame that connects said box to the body of the piano, organ, or other instrument.

a a are the slots in this box for the play of the usual pedals O O, of which primary ped als one, two, or more may be employed.

Secured to the ends of this box are standards D I), slotted respectively at d d to reeive a vertically-adjustable bar or shaft, E, whose extremities are screw-threaded at c c.

F F and Gr G are thumb-nuts which engage with said screwthreads so as to maintain shaft E at any desired elevation; or this ad justment of said shaft may be accomplished in any other convenient manner. Applied to this shaft are four sliding collars, H H I I, which are secured in position by their respec ive set-screws h h z 27, so as to preserve the secondary pedals in line with their appropriate primary pedals. Adapted to rock on shaft E, and situated between the collars H H, is a secondary pedal, J, that is in line with the primary pedal, O. Located between the collars I I is another secondary pedal, J", situated above the primary pedal, O.

In order to communicate motion from the upper set of pedals to the lower ones, the former have depending stems K K, which may hear directly upon the pedals O O. I prefer, however, to make these stems extensible, so as to preserve the pedals J J in the most con venient position when shaft E is shifted either up or down, which adjustment maybe effected by threading said stems at 7; 7a, and engaging them with the internally-threaded tubes L L, as seen in Figs. land 2. These tubes have so cured to their lower ends feet Z Z, shod with leather or other suitable cushions or pads M M or this adjustment may be effected by using an unthreaded stem, as seen at K in Fi 3, and securing said stem in the tube L with a setserew, N.

When the instrument is to be played by a young performer, shaft 15 is first set at the proper height-in standards 1) (11) d, and secured with nuts F F G G, thereby simultaneously disposing the pivoted or fulcrumed ends of the secondary pedals, J J, in the same horizontal plane, after which act the tubes L L are adjusted so to regulate or level said secondary pedals with reference to their respective primaries, O U. Evidently a repression of either of the secondary pedals, J or J, will now cause a correspoi'iding depression of the appropriate primary pedal, O or O, the cushions M M permitting such movement to be eifeeted in the easiest manner and without producing any noise or concussion. 'When an adult wishes to play the instrument, the secondary pedals are thrown back against the frame '13, as seen in Fig. 2, thereby projeetin the stems K L K L upwardly, and affording unobstructed access to the primary pedals, G O.

Fromthe above description it is evident that by simply making the slots 01 d long enough ample range will be aflorded for adjusting the shaft E so as to render the auxiliary pedals J J convenient for the smallest child that can play the piano or other musical instrument to which the device is applied.

- The secondarypedals, J J, being simply fulcrumed on a shaft, can be readily thrown out of service or brought into action by the performers feet, and as said pedals are attached to the instrument there is no danger of their being misplaced and injured.

I am aware it is not new to provide each pedal of a piano, &c., with a separate and independently-adjustable secondary pedal.

I am also aware it is not new to clamp a vertically-adjustable secondary pedal to a primary pedal; but I know of no instance where the secondary pedals are mounted on a common shaft; neither have I any knowledge of a secondary pedals, which, latter are provided with extensible stems for operating the former, and are fulcrumed on a common shaft, so as to be elevated or lowered simultaneously, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination of one or more primary pedals and one or more secondary pedals, which latter are adapted to operate the former,

and are capable of being adjusted vertically and shifted transversely on a shaft, substantially as herein described.

4. In combination with box A and primary pedals, G G, the slotted {standards D d, D d, shaft E e e, retaining devices F F G G", secondary pedals, J J, and extensible stems K L, K L N, for communicating motion from said secondary pedals to the primary pedals,

substantially as herein described.

5. In combination with the primary pedals,

C 0, and vertically-adjustable secondary pedals, J J, with their extensible stems K L, K

L N, the sliding collars H h H h I i 1'47,

for maintainingjsaid secondary pedals on the shaft E and in line with the primary pedals,

O O, substantially as herein'described.

6. The combination of primary pedals, O, secondary pedal, J ,'extensible stem KL 1, and cushion or pad M, for the purpose herein d escribed.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

\ JOHN J ABERG.

Witnesses:

. JAMES H. LAYMAN, RANKIN D. JONES. 

